The Internet is a global system of interconnected computers and computer networks that use a standard Internet protocol suite (e.g., the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP)) to communicate with each other. The Internet of Things (IoT) is based on the idea that everyday objects, not just computers and computer networks, can be readable, recognizable, locatable, addressable, and controllable via an IoT communications network (e.g., an ad-hoc system or the Internet).
A number of market trends are driving development of IoT devices. For example, increasing energy costs are driving governments' strategic investments in smart grids and support for future consumption, such as for electric vehicles and public charging stations. Increasing health care costs and aging populations are driving development for remote/connected health care and fitness services. A technological revolution in the home is driving development for new “smart” services, including consolidation by service providers marketing ‘N’ play (e.g., data, voice, video, security, energy management, etc.) and expanding home networks. Buildings are getting smarter and more convenient as a means to reduce operational costs for enterprise facilities.
There are a number of key applications for the IoT. For example, in the area of smart grids and energy management, utility companies can optimize delivery of energy to homes and businesses while customers can better manage energy usage. In the area of home and building automation, smart homes and buildings can have centralized control over virtually any device or system in the home or office, from appliances to plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) security systems. In the field of asset tracking, enterprises, hospitals, factories, and other large organizations can accurately track the locations of high-value equipment, patients, vehicles, and so on. In the area of health and wellness, doctors can remotely monitor patients' health while people can track the progress of fitness routines.
As such, in the near future, increasing development in IoT technologies will lead to numerous IoT devices surrounding a user at home, in vehicles, at work, and many other locations. In many cases, IoT networks may include various resources to which different IoT capable devices may require access, whereby control mechanisms may be used to authenticate or otherwise regulate access to the controlled resources. Accordingly, the IoT capable devices accessing a particular controlled resource may require an “always-on” network connection to periodically authenticate access to the controlled resource, which may lead to various problems because servers or other authentication entities that regulate or otherwise control access to the controlled resource may experience a substantial control load that may disrupt services that access the controlled resource and prevent clients from accessing the services. When adapted to the IoT concept, if a network includes various devices that communicate over a control channel to access a controlled resource, excessive traffic on the control channel could potentially disrupt resource usage. Accordingly, a need exists for mechanisms that may be used to reduce control loads used to authenticate or otherwise control access to controlled resources in IoT networks.